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| Open AccessMultifunctional evolution of B and AGL6 MADS box genes in orchids
B class AP3/PI and AGL6-like MADS proteins determine lips and sepals/petals identities in orchids. Here, the authors characterize the extended function of OAP3/OPI/OAGL6 in regulating the specific structure of the lateral sepals, pigmentation/senescence of the perianth and abscission of the pedicel.
- Hsing-Fun Hsu
- , Wei-Han Chen
- & Chang-Hsien Yang
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| Open AccessRepressive chromatin modification underpins the long-term expression trend of a perennial flowering gene in nature
The flowering regulator FLC shows upregulation and downregulation phases along with long-term past temperature in Arabidopsis halleri. Here, the authors reveal that H3K27me3-mediated chromatin regulation at AhgFLC provides the ability to respond to both the seasonal temperature trends and the perennial life cycle.
- Haruki Nishio
- , Diana M. Buzas
- & Hiroshi Kudoh
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| Open AccessThe transcription factor OsSUF4 interacts with SDG725 in promoting H3K36me3 establishment
The distribution of H3K36me3 varies between species. Here Liu et al. show that the OsSUF4 transcription factor binds its target motif via a zinc finger domain to promote H3K36 methyltransferase targeting close to the transcription start site of genes including the flowering regulators RFT1 and Hd3a.
- Bing Liu
- , Yuhao Liu
- & Aiwu Dong
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| Open AccessThe Arabidopsis H3K27me3 demethylase JUMONJI 13 is a temperature and photoperiod dependent flowering repressor
Jumonji domain-containing histone demethylases regulate flowering in plants. Here Zheng et al. show that Arabidopsis JMJ13 is an H3K27me3 demethylase that recognizes H3K27me3 via hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions and affects both photoperiod and temperature-dependent flowering responses.
- Shuzhi Zheng
- , Hongmiao Hu
- & Jiamu Du
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| Open AccessDivergent roles of FT-like 9 in flowering transition under different day lengths in Brachypodium distachyon
Plant flowering time is modified by day length. Here the authors show that the model grass Brachypodium distachyon expresses different homologs of FT in short and long days to produce floral activator complexes with altered activities contributing to photoperiod-dependence of flowering time.
- Zhengrui Qin
- , Yuxue Bai
- & Liang Wu
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Article
| Open AccessKin discrimination allows plants to modify investment towards pollinator attraction
Plants can recognize nearby kin and alter their growth in response. Here, Torices et al. demonstrate that flower production can also be sensitive to social context, with plants producing larger floral displays in the presence of relatives, which may increase attraction of pollinators to the group.
- Rubén Torices
- , José M. Gómez
- & John R. Pannell
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| Open AccessThe F-box protein FKF1 inhibits dimerization of COP1 in the control of photoperiodic flowering
CONSTANS promotes flowering under long-day conditions in Arabidopsis but is rapidly degraded in short-day conditions. Here the authors show that the blue-light photoreceptor FKF1 can interact with the E3 ligase COP1 in a light-dependent manner and prevent degradation of CO in long-day conditions.
- Byoung-Doo Lee
- , Mi Ri Kim
- & Nam-Chon Paek
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| Open AccessControl of chrysanthemum flowering through integration with an aging pathway
The mechanisms by which plant age regulates flowering remain incompletely understood. Here the authors show that age dependent regulation of SPL transcription factors by miR156 influence flowering via control of NF-YB8 expression in Chrysanthemum.
- Qian Wei
- , Chao Ma
- & Junping Gao
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| Open AccessRegulation of FT splicing by an endogenous cue in temperate grasses
The correct timing of transition from the vegetative to reproductive stage is critical during the plant life cycle. Here the authors show that age dependent alternative splicing ofFLOWERING LOCUS T mRNA regulates phase transitions in Brachypodium distachyon.
- Zhengrui Qin
- , Jiajie Wu
- & Liang Wu
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Direct links between the vernalization response and other key traits of cereal crops
VRN1 is a central regulator of flowering following prolonged cold exposure in cereals. Here Deng et al. combine ChIP-seq and RNA-seq to identify downstream targets of VRN1 in barley and demonstrate direct links between the flowering pathway and genes controlling other important agronomic traits.
- Weiwei Deng
- , M. Cristina Casao
- & Ben Trevaskis
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Endopolyploidization and flowering time are antagonistically regulated by checkpoint component MAD1 and immunity modulator MOS1
The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) complex is involved in mitotic quality control in yeast and animals. Here Bao et al. demonstrate that in plants, the SAC complex component MAD1 acts antagonistically to the immune regulator MOS1 to influence endopolyploidization and flowering time.
- Zhilong Bao
- , Ning Zhang
- & Jian Hua
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Jumonji demethylases moderate precocious flowering at elevated temperature via regulation of FLC in Arabidopsis
Environmental stimuli affect flowering time in Arabidopsis by controlling expression of the FLC transcription factor. Here Gan et al. find that repressive epigenetic modifications at the FLC locus are removed by Jumonji demethylases to prevent precocious flowering at elevated temperature.
- Eng-Seng Gan
- , Yifeng Xu
- & Toshiro Ito
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Nuclear factor Y-mediated H3K27me3 demethylation of the SOC1 locus orchestrates flowering responses of Arabidopsis
The onset of flowering is a major developmental transition in plants. Here, Hou et al. show that a NF-Y transcription factor complex exerts epigenetic control over the timing of flowering in Arabidopsisby modulating trimethylated H3K27 levels at a floral pathway integrator, SOC1, in response to environmental and intrinsic signals.
- Xingliang Hou
- , Jiannan Zhou
- & Hao Yu
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| Open AccessInduced and natural variation of promoter length modulates the photoperiodic response of FLOWERING LOCUS T
Gene expression at FLOWERING LOCUS T controls floral transition in many plants and is regulated by both environmental signals and internal cues. Liu et al. show that the distance between two regulatory sequences in the FT promoter varies with geographical location and determines responsiveness to photoperiod.
- Liangyu Liu
- , Jessika Adrian
- & Franziska Turck
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| Open AccessVariation in Arabidopsis flowering time associated with cis-regulatory variation in CONSTANS
The transcription factor CONSTANS regulates the timing of flowering in Arabidopsis. Rosas et al. report that genetic variation in the cis-regulatory regions of this gene contributes to natural phenotypic variation in flowering time.
- Ulises Rosas
- , Yu Mei
- & Michael D. Purugganan
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| Open AccessArabidopsis florigen FT binds to diurnally oscillating phospholipids that accelerate flowering
Daytime flowering in Arabidopsis is stimulated by the secreted protein FT. Nakamura et al. show that FT binds the lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) in vitro, and that in plants, different PC species predominate during day and night, with daytime species stimulating flowering in a manner that is partially dependent on FT.
- Yuki Nakamura
- , Fernando Andrés
- & George Coupland
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FLOWERING LOCUS T genes control onion bulb formation and flowering
FLOWERING LOCUS T is an important mobile signal that regulates plant development and flowering. In this study, Lee et al. demonstrate that multiple FLOWERING LOCUS Tgenes are involved in onion flowering and bulb formation.
- Robyn Lee
- , Samantha Baldwin
- & Richard Macknight
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Forecasting flowering phenology under climate warming by modelling the regulatory dynamics of flowering-time genes
Climate change and increasing temperature have an impact on the flowering time of plants but models predicting these effects are lacking. Satake et al. provide a model based on differential gene expression to predict the response of plants to warmer temperatures and find that the flowering period is shortened.
- Akiko Satake
- , Tetsuhiro Kawagoe
- & Hiroshi Kudoh
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| Open AccessArabidopsis FLC clade members form flowering-repressor complexes coordinating responses to endogenous and environmental cues
Flowering time is a critical developmental transition for a plant’s reproductive success and it depends on endogenous and environmental signals. Here Gu et al.show that MADS-domain floral repressors form protein complexes that coordinate Arabidopsis responses to these cues and regulate its flowering time.
- Xiaofeng Gu
- , Chau Le
- & Yuehui He
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Release of SOS2 kinase from sequestration with GIGANTEA determines salt tolerance in Arabidopsis
The flowering time and clock-related protein GIGANTEA has been broadly implicated in the development and physiology of plants. Kim and colleagues studyArabidopsisand find that GIGANTEA modulates salt stress via the release of the protein kinase SOS2, which is required for salt tolerance.
- Woe-Yeon Kim
- , Zahir Ali
- & Dae-Jin Yun
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| Open AccessA critical transition in leaf evolution facilitated the Cretaceous angiosperm revolution
The great increase in flowering angiosperm plants during the Cretaceous began the change towards modern biodiversity. This study shows that rapid angiosperm evolution was possible once the leaf interior transport path length for water became shorter than the leaf interior transport path length for carbon dioxide.
- Hugo Jan de Boer
- , Maarten B. Eppinga
- & Stefan C. Dekker
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TEMPRANILLO genes link photoperiod and gibberellin pathways to control flowering in Arabidopsis
InArabidopsis the photoperiod pathway promotes flowering in response to longer days, but during short days flowering depends on gibberellin accumulation. This study shows that TEMPRANILLO downregulation is required to induce flowering, as TEMPRANILLOgenes repress floral induction in the photoperiod and gibberellin pathways.
- Michela Osnato
- , Cristina Castillejo
- & Soraya Pelaz
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VEGETATIVE1 is essential for development of the compound inflorescence in pea
An understanding of the genetic network that controls the flower-bearing structure—the inflorescence—in plants helps to explain the diversity seen in plant forms. This work identifies a new mechanism for the generation of inflorescence complexity in legumes, which is based on the function of theVEG1gene.
- Ana Berbel
- , Cristina Ferrándiz
- & Francisco Madueño